Ire over Netanyahu’s speech, but Dems hopes to limit fallout

GOP reveling in their plight

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Capitol Hill in this 2011 photo. Boehner set up the Israeli’s coming speech to Congress.

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio talks with Prime Minister...

WASHINGTON — The Israeli prime minister’s upcoming speech to Congress without President Barack Obama’s blessing has angered Democratic lawmakers, but they see little remedy except to hope for minimal damage to their party and U.S.-Israel relations.

“Traditionally, supporters of Israel have been really evenhanded in supporting candidates of both parties,” Wilson said, but now “Democrats are slapping the friends of Israel in the face.”

Democrats reject such talk, saying Republicans repeatedly have overstated their appeal to Jewish voters. Obama got 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008, and 69 percent in 2012, exit polls showed. Congressional Democrats won two-thirds of Jewish votes in last fall’s elections, an especially bad year for their party.

Republicans want to portray Democrats as less supportive of Israel, “but no matter how much they try, they can’t move Jewish voters on this issue,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal pro-Israel group J Street.

House Democrats say Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, showed disrespect to the president — and perhaps cynical political goals — when he invited Netanyahu. Presidents can’t veto congressional speakers, but they usually are consulted.

Many Democrats object for three reasons.

The invitation rebukes Obama. The speech, scheduled three weeks before Israel’s elections, might be designed to boost Netanyahu’s re-election hopes. And Netanyahu is certain to back new penalties against Iran that the Obama administration and Western powers argue could scuttle sensitive negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

The speech is set for three weeks before the deadline for the U.S. and its international partners to reach a framework agreement with Iran that could provide an outline for a more comprehensive deal to be finalized by late June.

Netanyahu says an accord could make it easier for Iran eventually to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Obama says he’ll reject any deal that doesn’t safeguard Israel and other countries.

Still, some Democrats favor tougher sanctions. But they weren’t pleased by Netanyahu’s acceptance of the invitation.